Elbow-joint for artificial arms.



Q. D. CORLEY.

ELBOW IoINT FOR ARTIFICIAL ARMS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9. I9II.

Patented July 23, 1918.

A TTORNEY TEE STATES PATENT oFFreE.

'ELBOW-JOINT 'FOR ARTIFICIAL ARMS.

Specification `of Letters Patent.

"Patented July 23, 1918.

Application :filed Aprile), 1917. Seriallqe.-V 160,661.

To all whom it may concern:

13e-it known that LpQUnNtrirN ,ll-'Centrum citizen of the United "States, :residing at Dallas, inthe county ofDallas andState of TeX-as,.have invented certainynew and useful'lmprovenients inlElbmv-Jointsffor Artificial Arms, of which the following is -a specification.

This .invention has particular 1relation to self locking elbow-joints 2for artificial arms.

Thr-primary feature `ofthe invention is to provide ajoint fon those who have ampu- .tations above the elbow and lto `arrange said `joint, so that ittmaybe manipulated by a kflexible eonnectionffrem theisheulders of the wearerand its arm members locked in sub"stantiallyk any, desired adjustment without the aid f-outsidefassistanee and en- [tirely thefuse of theflexible connection.

In carrying outfthe invention a 'forearm `member is hinged`to"the`upper-arm member and means providedv whereby the t'wo members maybeloeke'dl either in line or in the various `angular adjustments which a natural arm ywould `assume inholding ar- 'ticles or ,performing yother lfunctions, the

l.said means beingy entirely'under the control fof ,"iexible connection `attached to 'the lsht'ul'd'ers of the wearer' and' also being'of suchanature as to'releasef the parts automatically whenrthe connection y 'is placed under tension and to 'automatically and expeditiously .lock fthe TAparts when ytension on said connection is"relieved.

YThe, invention `will-'JeeV more readily understoodby a perusal ofthe following specililcatienand byref erence to the accompanying drawing, in which an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View of an artificial arm constructed in accordance with the invention, v

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are details of the locking parts.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a forearm member and 2 an upper-arm member hinged together to form an elbowjoint. The forearm member comprises two side bars 3 connected at the lower end of the arm by a plate 4 against which a housing 5 is arranged between the bars. These parts 4 and 5 provide means to which a suitable artificial hand 0r similar appliance may be attached in a suitable manner.

At the opposite ends of the bars integral locking disksj are provided, each having ya marginal aperture 7 in; closely lspaced order. These register `with corresponding disks 8 having marginal `apertures 10 arranged closely spaced order and to .register with; the apertures. The disksfS aregintegral with gthellowen ends of side bars 9 fermingpart `of Vthe lippen-arm member and secured'to the; sides of anarm soeketfl`1. The Vdisks are centrally pivoted on trulnnions .12 carried by a -crossbar .x13 extending between the disks '6. A! lever14 islpivotred on the crossbar; and'llas `slets 15.receiv- Ving the l upturned ends` `of vplunger-pins 16 imounted in braeketsld` on opposite sidesmf the cross'bar. `The;pinshave stops '18, .each `engaging one Vo'fjthe'brackets and receiving one endet` a coiled spring 19`haviug its other end abutting the other` bracket. 4These spring pressed pins pass througlr'the 4apertures7 andengage in the apertureslO. Covering disks 19 .mounted on the trunnions concealy the apertures 10 and the end-sof the pins. r It will be 'seen thatA by .-swyinging'thelever 14, in the direction `ofthe arrows the 'pins will jbe withdrawn -from vthe apertures 10 permitting the arm Umembers to Vbe Vfreely adjusted, the dotl and dash lines 'inFig.'2 indicating 'the center-lines of`posit1ons to 'which theferearm'maybegswung; 'A heusing` 20 is'rfixe'd between'thebars 1 `adjacent t'lie`hou'sing-5 and has a'bell-'erankl lever pivoted von" theunder-siffle 'ofiitsftop A tThis Vlever has. an upstandliln'g `stud22| engaging 'the curved 'end of the`lever'12. VThe opposite end of the lever 21 extendsdaterally in @thejl10u`sing20 and'teiminates in an upturned ear 23 projecting through an arcuate slot 24 in said housing. This slot limits the movement of the lever 21. A cord 25 extends from the ear under a roller 2G` mounted in a bracket 27 on the side of the bar 3 and over another pulley 28 mounted in a bracket 29 en the corresponding side bar 9 of the member 2. A pulley 30 is mounted on the opposite side of the joint and forms a guide for a cord (not shown) for operating an artificial hand.

The upper end of the cord 25 is suitably attached to the shoulders of the wearer in a manner well known in this art. The wearer by moving his shoulders may place the cord under tension and exert a pull thereon whereby the lever 21 is swung and the pins 16 withdrawn from the apertures 10; and

with the parts in this position he may by a continued pull swingthe forearm upward by slightly relieving the tension permit the forearm to swing down by its own weight.

By a sudden release of the cord the pins are freed and will spring Linto the nextV aper-V tures encountered; by reason ofthe slots 15l the pins may lock independently.

The foregoing `description and illustration clearly express the invention, but it is to be` understood that said illustration is merely an exemplificationand the invention Vmay be carried out in various other ways.'r

lever for swinging theV same to :withdraw Y the locking means and to hol'd the latter in this position while swinging the forearm, vsald `connection by a sudden relaxation thereof releasing the lever and 'permitting vthe spring of the locking Ymeans to operate the latter.

2. In an Velbow-joint, two arm members hinged together, and laterally and oppositely operating locking devices penetrating the members at their hinge points.

v 3. In anelbow j oint for artificial arms, an upper arm member, a forearm member hinged to the upper arm member, a support at the joint between said arm members, vhaving a plurality of stops, anpair of spring projected pins mounted on said support and engaging the stops, a lever pivoted on the support and y engaging said pins on opposite sides ofits pivot point, a bell-crank lever carried by the forearm and having one leg engaging the lever, a Y flexible connection attached to the Copies of thispatent may be obtained for ve cents each,y by addressing the commissioner of latents, y

other vend of said bell-crank lever, and guides on the arm members over which the connection passes.

4. In Yan elbow-joint, two arm members,

spring projected locking pins carried by one looking device carried by the forearm mem ber and engaging the upperV arm member, an operating device carried by'the'forearm member and engaging they locking device for withdrawing the same, Vand a iexible j connection attached to the operating Vdevice and serving to manipulate 'the same and holdV the locking device withdrawn, said flexible connection also serving. to swing;' Y

said forearm member.V

7 In an elbow joint for artici'al arms;

two arm members hinged together; a lockn ing device mounted onone of the members; and including, oppositely directed spring extended pins engaging the other arm'memf ber, a centrally pivoted member engaged. by the pins on each' side of its pivot point, a bell-crank lever having engagement f wlth the pivoted member;V and a-lexible connection attached tothe other end of the lever. j I

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

QUENTIN D, conter.

Y Washington, ID. C. 

